This fertile floodplain in southern China is crisscrossed with many tributaries of the Pearl River. For over 2000 years, its rice paddies, fish ponds and vegetable gardens supplied ample food. In its center is the provincial capital of Guangzhou (廣州 aka Canton). Economic development of the past three decades made this region a manufacturing and commercial center. It accounts for 10% of China’s GDP and almost 30% of its export. Cities like Shenzhen (深圳) and Zhuhai (珠海) sprouted from small villages into large cities with migrant workers from inland China.
Located on the west side of the delta, the regions of Taishan (台山), Kaiping (開平), and Zhongshan (中山) are ancestral homes of the largest portion of Chinese Americans.
We joined a tour operated by Ritz Tours (名人假期), with mostly Chinese American clients. More than half of our tour group can trace their roots to Taishan.